Our present invention relates to a radiating source formed by a dipole excited by a waveguide of rectangular section which can be used in an electronically scanning antenna.
The radiating part of such an antenna requires a large number of repetitive elements called modules, each formed from an elementary source and an associated phase shifter constituting a phase-shifting network.
In an earlier construction, such an elementary source is formed by a dipole supported by a metal plate inserted into the nipped end of a waveguide by which it is excited. This construction has the drawback of being cumbersome on account of the size of the waveguide and the arrangement of the dipole on a metal plate. Another drawback comes from the need for machining and mounting operations resulting in difficulties for industrial production, in uncertain reproducibility and in a relatively high cost.